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reviews
Charles Avison
Concerti Grossi after
Geminiani
The Avison Ensemble
Pavlo Beznosiuk (director & violin)
2 CDs on Divine Arts, dda 21210
… brisk and lively performances
… one of the finest baroque ensembles now in
existence
… an exceptional issue in every way
Early Music News
Richard Maunder
Avison's recently rediscovered arrangements as seven-part concertos of
Geminiani's Op. 1 violin sonatas continue an honourable tradition dating back to
Geminiani's own arrangements of Corelli's Op. 5 sonatas. They make very
convincing concertos and are a welcome addition to the repertoire (Avison
omitted Geminiani's Op. 1 No. 11, but Beznosiuk has skilfully remedied the
deficiency). This is music of outstanding quality and originality: Geminiani has the
rare ability to do the unexpected while making the result sound completely
natural, and Avison's ingenious and technically assured versions do much to
enhance the appeal of these pieces.
The performances are outstanding. The band (strings 3/3/2/2/1 plus harpsichord) is
richly sonorous; the ensemble is faultless; the tempi are seemingly infallibly judged;
the phrasing is subtle and expressive; and virtuoso solos are dispatched with
aplomb. What more could one possibly want? It's a real pleasure to have two
absolute winners from The Avison Ensemble to review in the same issue. They must
surely be one of the finest baroque ensembles now in existence.
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The Daily Telegraph
Elizabeth Roche
These discs throw fascinating light on the 18th-century English musical public's
insatiable appetite for Italian concerti grossi. Avison's recently discovered
transcriptions of 12 solo violin sonatas by one of London's most popular expatriate
Italian musicians were perfectly calculated to satisfy this demand. With Avison's
thorough grasp of the Italianate concerto style, it is hard to believe that the pieces
were not originally conceived in this form.
In these spirited performances, the full tutti sound enhances Pavlo Beznosiuk's
beautifully characterised playing of the first concertino violin part, whether in
yearning slow movements or sparkling gigues.
Goldberg Early Music Magazine
Brian Robins
Newcastle-born Charles Avison’s concerto grosso arrangements of Domenico
Scarlatti sonatas are now fairly familiar, but these concertos arranged from
Francesco Geminiani’s set of 12 Sonatas and Continuo, op. 1 (1716) are likely to be
new to most listeners/ They are in fact recent discoveries, having only come to light
as recently as 2002. As the excellent booklet note reminds us, it should come as no
surprise that Avison should have been drawn to these sonatas, given the mutual
admiration he and Geminiani had for the other’s works. Geminiani’s publication
followed the standard format of including 6 sonate da chiesa followed by 6 sonate
da camera, a pattern followed by Avison, who was largely faithful as to matters like
tempo and harmony. There is, however, a striking departure in the case of the final
movement of No. 6 in G minor, where Avison concludes with an Andante followed
by an extensive set of variations not included in the sonata and scored only in two
parts. They are played here by violin and cello.
The performances of this immensely appealing set of concertos are outstanding.
The Avison Ensemble includes some of Britain’s finest period instrument players,
but what is remarkable is the rich depth of the playing. The broad sonority of some
of the movements of the da chiesa concertos is especially impressive, while there is
real warmth and expressive sensitivity in such movements as No. 2/iii of the
gracious opening Vivace of No. 9 in F. An exceptional issue in every way.
International Record Review
Robert Levett
Cellist Gordon Dixon formed the Avison Ensemble with the intention of bringing to
light the music of Charles Avison and other lesser-known British contemporaries of
Handel. This period instrument ensemble has already recorded Avison’s Opp. 3, 4
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and 6 Concertos for Naxos; a further release on Divine Art will contain Avison’s Op.
9; the six cello concertos by the eighteenth-century Newcastle composer John
Garth were reviewed last month. Many listeners will already be familiar with
Avison’s orchestral transcriptions of some of Domenico Scarlatti’s harpsichord
sonatas but none will be familiar with these, Avison’s concerto grosso
arrangements of Francesco Geminiani’s Op. 1 Sonata for violin and basso continuo.
They are well worth becoming acquainted with, especially given the outstanding
quality of this world premiere recording.
Mark Kroll’s excellent booklet note contains some essential facts, which I’ll
summarize briefly here. In his day, Avison (c1709-70) was considered northern
England’s leading musician. While studying in London, he made the acquaintance
of Francesco Geminiani, who had moved to the city in 1714; the two became firm
friends and Avison remained a tireless advocate of Geminiani’s music in England
for the rest of his life. In 2000 and 2002 two of Avison’s workbooks were
discovered; the second of these contains the composer’s concerto arrangements of
Geminiani’s Sonatas for violin and basso continuo, Op. 4 and these concerto grosso
arrangements of the same composer’s Op. 1. Somewhat inexplicably, Avison
arranged only 11 of the 12 sonatas; Pavlo Beznsiuk, one of the soloists and the
director of the Avison Ensemble on this recording, has plugged the gap by
arranging the missing item (no. 11).
Most of the works here exhibit the usual sonata da chiesa slow-fast-slow-fast layout
in the number and order of the movements and are scored for the seven-part
string ensemble apparently favoured by the Avison. The concertino group
comprises two violins (Beznsiuk, who seems to have the bulk of the work, and
Simon Jones). More often than not, the second concertino violin plays what was
the lower note of a double stop in the original sonatas, but sometimes the parts are
more equally shared – this seems especially true in Beznosiuk’s arrangement.
This two-CD set is a delight from start to finish. The playing is brisk and light, the
textures clear and the overall ensemble well nigh perfect. Beznosiuk is on stunning
form (when is he not?), his fresh, improvisatory approach well suited to
communicating a sense of adventure and discovery in what is “new” Early Music.
The faster movements feature exquisite passagework, as in the first Allegro of
Concerto no. 2 in D minor, the first Vivace in no. 8 and the exciting middle Allegro
in the three-movement Concerto no. 12 in D minor. The beautifully ornamented
slow movements are equally impressive – take the opening Affettuoso of the B flat
Concerto no. 5 or the Amoroso, also from no. 12. A real highlight, though, is the
extended set of two-part variations (here realized by violin and cello without
accompaniment) that forms a ‘trio’ section between the final Andante and its
repeat in the Concerto no. 6 in G minor.
Recorded sound and overall presentation are also of the utmost quality. I recall
being deeply impressed with the Avison Ensemble’s Naxos releases; this latest
enterprise only confirms that here, surely, is a band whose strength of vision and
outstanding artistry would have pleased not only its namesake but also Geminiani,
beyond all measure.
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The Consort
Robin Bigwood
For a composer who died only twenty years or so before Mozart, the style of
Charles Avison (1709-1770) is unashamedly high baroque. His meeting with
Geminiani in London in the 1720s, and the friendship between them that
flourished thereafter, established the link with the Italian style in general, and
Corelli in particular, which Avison espoused throughout his career. He was far from
indiscriminate though – in his Essay on Musical Expression he remarkably
described Vivaldi as ‘only a fit amusement for children', and his reverence for the
‘genuine Air and true Harmony' of Corelli and Geminiani was undiminished even
well into the 1760s, as is recorded in the preface to his op. 9 concertos.
In this context, the restraint and balance found in Avison's Twelve Concerti Grossi
after Geminiani's Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo op. 1 , given its first
recording on this new CD, is not unexpected. The first six concertos are of the da
chiesa model while the last six are da camera and include dance movements,
although these are never explicitly named. An arrangement of Sonata no. 11 in A
minor is missing from the workbook in which the rest of the sonatas were found in
2002, so here it is presented in a stylish arrangement by Pavlo Beznosiuk.
Throughout the recording, the Avison Ensemble responds to Avison's full 7-part
texture with warmth and flexibility. Pavlo Beznosiuk's violin playing is also
impressive, with finely judged phrasing, and ornamentation that is both inventive
and expressive but never resorts to the ‘tumultuous' style that Avison himself so
disliked. The unexpected Minuet and Variations of the G minor sonata are
particularly enjoyable, and also feature some wonderfully articulate cello playing,
not directly credited but presumably by Richard Tunnicliffe. The sound quality is
superb too, capturing the supportive but never overbearing acoustic of the Jubilee
Theatre in Newcastle.
Allmusic
Dave Lewis
Charles Avison was one of the most significant figures in eighteenth century
English music, though his reputation has suffered owing to the prominence of
Handel during his time and that his most famous work is the 12 Concerto Grossi
arranged after various movements of Domenico Scarlatti . Although the
orchestration, manner of arrangement, and even the addition of several nonScarlatti movements confirm this set as an original effort on Avison 's part, Scarlatti
is nevertheless the one who benefits from its fame. The Avison Ensemble was
founded in the 1990s, spurred on by a cache of newly discovered Avison
manuscripts; however, the group got a real boost with the further discovery in
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2000 and 2002 of Avison 's personal workbooks, containing over 600 pages of
music by Avison and others. They have developed a new rubric for Avison — "the
greatest English composer of orchestral concertos" — and, additionally, it should
be mentioned that Avison remained a stalwart of Baroque instrumental style long
after domesticity and the Classic moved the Baroque out of the mainstream.
Indeed, Newcastle-based Charles Avison may have been the Baroque's last outpost.
From the workbooks come Avison's arrangements, into Concerti Grossi , of
Francesco Geminiani's Op. 1 Violin Sonatas . The chain of musical recycling here is
perilously deep; Geminiani himself was best known during his lifetime for his
arrangements of Corelli's violin sonatas into Concerti Grossi. Avison had studied
with Geminiani and remained a lifelong friend of the composer, an Italian who
plied his entire musical trade in England. Although cellist Gordon Dixon was the
founder of the Avison Ensemble and served as executive producer of Divine Art's
Charles Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi, after Geminiani's sonatas, violinist Pavlo
Beznosiuk leads the group and is its principal soloist. Beznosiuk will be
remembered for his work with the Parley of Instruments , the Academy of Ancient
Music, and many other period groups; for this project, Beznosiuk has also
contributed a complementary Sonata No. 11, as Avison himself seems not to have
gotten around to arranging that one for his typical, seven-part ensemble. The
difference between Beznosiuk 's work and Avison's is minimal, indeed, if apparent
at all.
Beznosiuk is strongly dedicated to the Avison Ensemble and to the composer after
whom it is named; he has decided to record all of Avison 's instrumental music, in
addition to some selected pieces from never heard composers that Avison
documented, such as Englishman John Garth. As to this Divine Art recording, it is
apparent from the first note that these are first-rate eighteenth century concerti
grossi, and the Avison Ensemble plays them in a relaxed, very easygoing fashion. It
is pleasant, but ultimately one wants the music to take wing, as the potential seems
to be there in Avison's score. However, it never does — the pace, while never rigid,
never really takes off, and slow movements tend to register with a bit more import
than the allegros — and there are far more allegros than there are other kinds of
movements.
Nevertheless, this is a worthy undertaking that whets one's appetite for what might
be in store with future instalments of the Avison Ensemble's traversal of the work
of its namesake.
Musicweb
Johan van Veen
It still happens now and then that music manuscripts are discovered. Sometimes
they contain music which is known to have existed and somehow has gone
missing. Sometimes these manuscripts contain music which was hitherto
completely unknown. That is the case with the Concerti grossi by Charles Avison
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recorded here. We know he arranged keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti as
concerti grossi, and we also know about his admiration for Francesco Geminiani.
But nobody knew that Avison also arranged violin sonatas by his hero as concerti
grossi. "They were discovered in the second of two of Avison's workbooks that
suddenly appeared in the years 2000 and 2002 respectively. Consisting of more
than 600 pages of music hidden from view for over two centuries, these two books
add significantly to Avison's repertoire and reputation", Mark Kroll writes in the
programme notes.
Francesco Geminiani was born in 1687 in Lucca, and probably received his first
musical education from his father, who was a violinist. It is assumed that among his
later teachers were Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti, but although he is thought to
have been in Rome from 1704 to 1706 there is no firm evidence for this. That he
was close to Arcangelo Corelli is a fact, since in the foreword to 'A Treatise of Good
Taste in the Art of Musick', which was published in 1749, he refers to discussions
with Corelli about his music. In 1714 he left Italy for England, probably because he
didn't see any real chance of a career either in Rome or in Naples, where he also
spent some time. And as England had attracted other musicians from Italy before it
was a logical choice to try to find employment there.
In England he found fertile soil: admiration for Italy and the Italian music was
widespread, and there were ample opportunities to perform and to teach. In
England Geminiani found his first patron in the person of Baron Johann Adolf
Kielmannsegg. It was he who arranged a public performance with the king in
attendance, in which Geminiani was accompanied by Handel at the harpsichord. It
was also Kielmannsegg to whom Geminiani dedicated his 12 sonatas for violin and
b.c. opus 1. This collection had considerable success, and as the sonatas were
stylistically close to Corelli he could convincingly present himself as Corelli's pupil.
Charles Avison was born in 1709 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the north of England,
where he received his first musical training from his father, who was one of the city
waits. From 1724 to 1735 he stayed in London to further his musical education, and
then returned to Newcastle, where he stayed the rest of his life and played an
important role in musical life. During his time in London he met Francesco
Geminiani, who made a lasting impression on him. His admiration for the Italian
master was such that in 'An Essay on Musical Expression', which was published in
1752, he claimed Geminiani to be a better composer than Handel. This caused a
vivid debate as many of his colleagues strongly disagreed and defended Handel
against what they considered an unfair attack.
The influence of Geminiani is reflected in Avison's own compositions, like the
Concerti Grossi op. 6 - also recorded by the Avison Ensemble. His admiration also
made him arrange the sonatas opus 1. He turned them into concerti grossi for
seven instrumental parts, divided into two groups: the 'concertino' - consisting of
the instruments who play the solo sections - and the 'ripieno', the full ensemble.
The manuscript contains only ten concertos, as it seems Avison didn't arrange the
Sonata No 11. For this recording Pavlo Beznosiuk made his own arrangement of
this sonata. As much as I admire the result I don't see the point. If one wants to
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present the arrangements by Avison, then why fill in what he - for whatever reason
- left out?
The Twelve sonatas by Geminiani are of the two then-usual types of 'sonata da
chiesa' (Sonatas 1 - 6) and 'sonata da camera' (Sonatas 7 - 12), although the tempo
indications don't show any difference. The sonatas of the second half contain
several dance movements, but are still referred to as vivace, andante or allegro.
Although Geminiani remained his hero all his life Avison wasn't a conservative
composer, let alone a Geminiani clone. In his Concertos op. 6 mentioned above he
composed four concertos in which he made use of the modern sonata form. And in
these arrangements of Geminiani's sonatas opus 1 he doesn't slavishly follow his
model either. The most interesting example is the Concerto grosso No 6 in g minor,
which ends with an andante. Here Avison adds a lengthy passage of his own, a
theme with variations in two parts, after which the original andante by Geminiani is
to be repeated. Avison refers to the andante as 'menuet', and this last movement is
in fact a combination of menuet and trio - one of the most popular forms of the
emerging classical style. The way this theme with variations should be played is a
bit of a problem. Mark Kroll sees performance on a harpsichord as a possibility, but
considering the scoring of these concertos this seems rather odd. The option
followed here, violin and cello, is much more convincing. The structure of this last
movement remains rather unsatisfying, though: the duet is very long (more than
200 measures) meaning that the other instruments have to keep silent for about 10
minutes.
This set of concerti grossi is an important discovery. Not only is it a fine tribute to
the art of Geminiani, but it also reflects the admiration for the master, not just by
Avison, but by English music-lovers at large. It also reflects the quite usual practice
of showing one's admiration by arranging music of one's hero. Geminiani once did
the same, when he turned Corelli's sonatas for violin and bc op. 5 into concerti
grossi.
These performances are good but I have some reservations with regard to the
sound, which I find a little sharp and - in the long run - a bit tiresome. Somewhat
more variety in phrasing and articulation, more dynamic shades and in general a
little more warmth and passion would have done this recording considerable
good. I would advise listeners to assimilate this set gradually, and not at a sustained
stretch as I have done. These concertos give plenty of evidence of Avison's great
qualities as a composer, and one can only hope other compositions – such as his
chamber music and vocal works - are to be explored in due course.
American Record Guide
Crawford
Avison has enjoyed some renewed popularity in the past few years, with a good
deal of the credit for that going to Gordon Dixon, executive director of the Avison
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Ensemble; he one day found some old music in the back of a cupboard that turned
out to be some works by Avison. Apparently the discoveries go on, because two of
Avison's workbooks appeared out of oblivion in 2000 and 2002; together they
comprise more than 600 pages of music. These concerto arrangements of
Francesco Geminiani's violin sonatas were in those workbooks.
This recording, then, constitutes something of an event in classical music. Avison
apparently did not score an arrangement of Sonata 11, so Pavlo Beznosiuk wrote a
concerto arrangement of it himself to make the set complete.
Geminiani was a great influence on Avison; indeed, Avison probably studied with
him in London, as Geminiani was already living there when Avison moved there
around 1725 at the age of 15. The two formed a close friendship that continued
until Geminiani died in 1762.
This is a significant addition to the catalog of Avison's recorded music. The Avison
Ensemble is doing good work in this respect, having already done a few recordings
for Naxos of other Avison Concertos. This is a good recording, but I should
probably include a note of caution for those who don't enjoy period ensembles,
because this is clearly a period performance. Sometimes the intonation seems less
than precise. Good sound and decent notes.
The Journal Culture Magazine
It’s a little surprising that the Newcastle-based Avison Ensemble and the
Northallerton-based Divine Art haven’t got together before this. But here they are
with two double-CD sets out this month, both showcasing the region’s 18th
century musical heritage.
Charles Avison (1709-1770) was the main mover and shaker of both Newcastle’s
and Durham’s music scenes, organising the first subscription concerts outside
London. Aged 15, Avison went to London to further his career and met celebrated
composer Francesco Geminiani, subsequently bringing the Italian style to the
North-East.
The 12 Concerto Grosso arrangements of Francesco Geminiani’s Sonatas for Violin
and Basso Continuo, op. 1, are Avison’s tribute to the maestro. The Italian style
divides the orchestra into a group of solo players (the concertino) and the rest in
ensemble (the ripieno), allowing for dramatic exchanges between the two and
ample opportunities for the lead violinist to show off a virtuoso technique.
There’s no shortage of the latter on these discs with Avison leader Pavlo Beznosiuk
- who also arranged the missing Concerto no. 11. Remembering the concert in
preparation for this recording at the Jubilee theatre in Newcastle, back in 2005,
there seemed something almost cavalier about the way Beznosiuk threw his
bowing arm into the solos. But the result is far from slapdash. His energy is
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combined with meticulous tuning and an ear for a well-shaped phrase, lighting up
the orchestra in what should prove a benchmark recording.
CDhotlist
Rick Anderson
Little-known until fairly recently, Charles Avison was one of England 's greatest
concerto composers. In the early 1700s he arranged eleven of Francesco
Geminiani's violin sonatas in concerto grosso format, and these are performed very
nicely here on period instruments by the Avison Ensemble under the direction of
violin soloist Pavlo Beznosiuk. Avison's arrangements preserve all of the fire and
elegance of the original pieces, and the Avison Ensemble gives them brisk and
lively performances. Highly recommended.
Albion Magazine
Em Marshall
Another Avison disc presents his recently-discovered concerti grossi arrangements
of Francesco Geminiani's Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo . Avison became
acquainted with Geminiani in the mid-1720's in London, where Geminiani had
been establishing himself as a top violinist, scholar and composer. The Italian
composer became Avison's mentor and friend, and probably his teacher as well: in
a letter to Avison, he wrote “You are my heir.” In return, Avison copied, arranged,
and promoted much of Geminiani's music. Whilst remaining generally faithful to
Geminiani's formal structure and melodic lines, Avison occasionally includes some
elements new to the Geminiani originals. Here the Avison Ensemble, a group
formed specifically to promote the composer after the unexpected discovery of a
collection of his music, record his arrangements of Geminiani's Op. 1 sonatas (No
11 of the twelve is missing, so it is included here in an arrangement by the
Ensemble's director, Pavlo Beznosiuk.) The Ensemble perform this attractive music
with flair and intelligence.
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